‘Unruly tourists’ in hot water again

5th Aug 2019 1:30 PM

The "unruly tourists" who had a scandal-plagued visit to New Zealand have hit the headlines again in their homeland after finding their plans for a "traveller site" thwarted by some determined local opposition.

Now locals are citing the European Convention of Human Rights in an effort to block construction of the site, which they say clashes with their "well-maintained houses" and "carefully attended gardens".

Mr Doran was granted permission in 2016 to put two caravans and a toilet block on the site, but the approval lapsed after he was unable to meet conditions relating to protecting trees and a badger habitat.

The tourist family were accused of bad behaviour while on holiday in New Zealand. Picture: Christine Cornege /NZ Herald

It's been claimed Mr Doran and his family have terrorised locals by playing loud music, tearing up trees, turning off their water supply and dumping waste.

Earlier this year, a resident told the Daily Mail: "Family members would take it in turns to urinate, or worse, in people's driveways. They turned their site, which was once beautiful, unspoilt woodland into an eyesore. They built 10ft-high breezeblock walls, which the council made them take down, and dumped hundreds of tons of rubble in heaps everywhere."

Residents took their concerns to the planning committee at Wychavon District Council and argued their human rights would be breached if the site remained.

The chairman of Worcestershire County Council, Peter Tomlinson, also a Dough Bank resident, told the meeting: "This applicant … appears to have no respect for planning law, for inspectors' decisions or even for the High Court and, as you are well aware, little or no respect for the residents of Dough Bank.

The family is in the spotlight again, infuriating locals with their behaviour and plans for a ‘traveller site’. Picture: Christine Cornege /NZ Herald

"I believe this applicant is actually in breach of Article Eight of the Human Rights Convention by deliberately not respecting the rights of the settled community."

Another resident told the meeting: "They have brought as many as four caravans on to the site and subdivided the plot with an illegally built 10ft-high wall.

"Dough Bank is a small collection of well-maintained houses each with carefully attended gardens. For these reasons and others we ask that this planning application is rejected."

Mr Doran attended the meeting with his partner, refusing to comment but saying: "I am very angry right now."

The Dorans became infamous last summer after video emerged of them littering on Takapuna Beach before a young boy threatened to knock a woman's ‘brains out’ when the family was challenged by concerned locals.

The Dorans became infamous last summer after video emerged of them littering on Takapuna Beach before a young boy threatened to knock a woman's "brains out" when the family was challenged by concerned locals.

Allegations then followed the group around New Zealand as they were accused of also attempting to rip-off several restaurants and motels.

At the height of their notoriety, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff labelled them "a bunch of a***holes" before the unwelcome tourists headed back home.